By Chief Sam DiGiovanna
I could not think of a better article to start off 2023 “From the Chiefs Corner” thanks to Harvey Mackay. Lessons come from many sources, and many times, where you would least think. MacKay is fond of stories that feature animals, perhaps because they strip away the politics and focus on the practical.
Here are a few of his favorites, along with the lessons we can identify and learn from them and how they coincide with us:
No bull. Legend has it that once upon a time a tiger ate a bull. The tiger was so satisfied with his feast that he growled and growled. A big game hunter heard the growling, tracked it to the tiger, and shot the tiger dead.
Moral: When you are full of bull, keep your mouth shut. Does this not resonate around the station? Most of your constituents see through your Bull. When your full of it, keep it shut!
Be dependable. A farmer had been plowing with an ox and a mule teamed together. One day, the ox said to the mule, “Let’s play sick today and take it easy.”
But the mule said, “No, we need to get our work done.”
The ox played sick anyway. The farmer brought it fresh hay and corn and tried to make it comfortable.
When the mule came in from plowing, the ox asked how it went. “We didn’t get quite as much done,” the mule said, “But we did a fair stretch.”
Then the ox asked, “What did the farmer say about me?”
“Nothing,” the mule replied.
The ox played sick again the next day. He asked the mule about the day’s progress.
“All right,” the mule said, “but we didn’t get much done.”
“Well,” the ox continued, “what did the farmer say about me?”
“Nothing to me,” the mule answered, “but he did have a long talk with the butcher.”
Moral: If you cut out on your job, expect to be cut from your job. How true. Be part of the team. There is strength in numbers. Don’t cut corners, pull your weight and do you job. If not, you might get axed!
Practice makes perfect. Bringing a giraffe into the world is a tall order. First the baby falls 6-8 feet and usually lands on its back. Mom lowers her head, takes a quick look, and then delivers the newborn’s first lesson. She positions herself over her newborn and kicks her baby so that it is sprawling head over heels. This process is repeated until the baby stands for the first time on its wobbly legs.
In the wild, baby giraffes must be able to get up quickly to stay with the herd, where there is safety. Lions, hyenas, leopards, and wild hunting dogs all enjoy eating young giraffes, and they’d be licking their chops if mother didn’t teach her calf to stand quickly.
Moral: The future belongs to those who are prepared for it. We’ve all heard it “Train as if your life depends on it. Because it does!” Stay current, continue to better yourself and as Gordon Graham says, “if it’s predictable, it’s preventable!”
Competition makes you better. In Africa, every morning a gazelle gets up and knows that it must out-run the fastest lion or it will get eaten. And every morning, a lion gets up and knows that it must out-run the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. So, whether you are a gazelle or a lion, every morning when you get up, you’d better start running.
Moral: If you can’t win, make the person ahead of you break the record. How true. Complacency kills. Surround yourself with good people. Don’t worry about others. We all shine with different strengths, just in different ways. Accept others for who they are and appreciate what they bring to the table.
Constructive criticism should build people up. Major League umpire Bill Guthrie was sharing the space behind the plate with a catcher from the visiting team who protested many ball and strike calls.
In the fourth inning, when the heckling started up again, Guthrie stopped him. “Son,” he said to the catcher, “you’ve been a big help to me calling balls and strikes, and I appreciate it. But I think I’ve got the hang of it now. So, I’m going to ask you to go to the clubhouse and show them how to take a shower.”
Moral: The goal of criticism is to leave the person better than he or she was before. Let your ego go and put your pride aside. We spend so much energy and time avoiding criticism and need to be right. Even if there is a grain of truth to the criticism, learn from it and move on. No one’s perfect!
Everyone is important. During a student’s second month of nursing school, a professor gave a pop quiz. Easy, until she read the last one: “What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?” The student had seen the cleaning woman, who was tall, dark-haired, and middle-aged, but how would she know her name?
She had to leave the last question blank. One student asked if that question counted toward our quiz grade.
“Absolutely,” said the professor. “In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say ‘hello.’” The student never forgot that lesson. She also learned her name was Dorothy.
Moral: Take the time to meet the people who are taking care of you. Whatever your position; a reserve firefighter to fire chief. We are part of a team. Treat each other with respect. One day that peer you started with, just might be your supervisor. And we are all important!
Mackay’s Moral: Business and life lessons aren’t always taught in the academy.
Here is the unedited article https://lnkd.in/gnaYXv9E Thank you Mr. Mackay!
Sam DiGiovanna is a 40 – year fire service veteran. He started with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, served as Fire Chief at the Monrovia Fire Department, and currently serves as Chief at the Verdugo Fire Academy in Glendale. He also is a consultant for www.Lexipol.com